Good, Better, Best

Sins of Omission

St Jerome said it well, "Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best."

My honest observation is that most of us are settling for much less than the best that God has for us. 

When we are enlightened regarding the good we ought to do, we revert to the mediocre we are accustomed to. 

We often opt for that which is passable rather than pursuing that which is gloriously possible.  

"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17

When we have been led to do right, and we fail to act on that prompting, that is a called a sin of omission. 

What are we commonly omitting? 

1. Is it good, having investigated and accepted the truths of Scripture and the love of God, and having committed oneself to Christ, following Him in believers baptism, to unite with a New Testament Church and serve through that body?

2. Is it good to spend time with God in prayer and devotion, Scripture reading and meditation?

3. Is it good to attend worship services, learning more of Jesus and His Word, and encouraging and being encouraged on a regular basis?

4. Is it good to tell others of Jesus and to send the gospel to the ends of the Earth?

5. Is it good to show kindness to those in need, impoverished, abused and victimized, when we have the wherewithal to bless them?

6. Is it good to keep ourselves in mental, physical, and financial shape so that we can be of benefit to the kingdom of God when called upon?

7. Is it good to stand for truth and oppose evil? 

8. Is it good to live a Spirit-filled life, allowing Him to produce His fruit through us for the betterment of those around us?

9. Is it good to walk in the light Jesus gives us through his Word, following His will with complete obedience?

10. Is it good to spend one's life exhibiting the influences of gospel salt and light, allowing others to witness our good works and therefore glorify our Father which is in heaven?

Friend, it is time to set aside worthless pursuits and prioritize those things which are good and right, better and best. 

Seasons Greetings to the Hurting, Grieving and Lonely

      As the Holiday Season is upon us, here are a few thoughts to make this time more festive.

     The Holidays are a real challenge to a lot of people. The season, to them, is a stark reminder of loss. It is a gut punch screaming to them that things can never be the same. We all understand this, at least to some degree. During this time meant for rejoicing, we all feel the pangs of longing for those who are no longer here to share this special time.

     However, God intends this season of advent to be a reminder of His nearness to us. It is a time to celebrate a Savior Who came to give us peace and goodwill. It is a notice of His unfailing love, His marvelous grace and His generous gift of salvation. It prompts us to look forward to a time of reunion with those we lost, made possible by the gift of God’s Son so that we can spend eternity together in the presence of Immanuel, God with us!

     So come, let us adore Him. Give and receive gifts recalling the glorious gift of His love. Sing the songs with joy. Work toward peace on earth and goodwill to men. Gather with your church family to worship the newborn King.

The World’s Vain Philosophies

     Having been immersed in our culture, that is, our systems of the arts and humanities, education, media, entertainment, sports, places of employment, etc., we have all been indoctrinated to some extent with the world’s vain philosophies.

     Compare the time the world influences us in a given week with the time we are influenced by God’s Word through devotional reading, Sunday school, church and Bible studies, and we find that our spirits are not being nourished nearly enough.

     If we spend 30 minutes per day in studying our Bibles and in prayer, and another 4 hours per week in church settings, we would be feeding our souls a total of about 7 ½ hours in a week. That is actually pretty good. But, in watching the news, taking in a few TV shows, going to a movie, a sporting event, and reading the newspaper, about 30 hours in the week are given to secular input.  

     Do you see the disparity in our intake of information? It’s no wonder that worldly philosophy, like a weed, strangles out the good seeds of our faith.

     Cleary, most of our current culture has little to no Scriptural input. There is no exposure to the biblical world view if people are not in church and don’t open a Bible. Considering this, it is amazing to me that we actually have any moral fiber left in America.

     Consider the words of R.A. Torrey, spoken over a hundred years ago: "For eighteen centuries and more the opinions of scientists and philosophers have come and gone, today regarded as the final and absolute wisdom, tomorrow regarded as the sheerest folly. But the teachings of this Book have stood fast amid the wreck of centuries of man's thinking. The experience of eighteen centuries proves that the man who banks on the Bible is wise."

     Imagine what future generations will think of ambiguous and bizarre gender pronouns, men being pregnant, or a supreme court justice not being able to give the definition of “woman.”

     The hammers of unbelief lay broken in piles, but the anvil of God’s Word remains unchanged.

Am I Fit Enough to do Specialized Work for the Lord?

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 

Would/could we be called upon to be this fit person to carry out this important task? 

Would we have the:

*Mental Acuity to navigate the wilderness while seeing to the well being of the goat?

*Common Sense to deal with the eventualities?

*Spiritual wherewithal to tune in to the Lord's leading? 

*Physical fitness to make the arduous journey? 

God is looking for folks in shape to do His will. Could we qualify?

How to Have a Better Church by Next Sunday

 

1)     Look forward to church & pray for the preacher, yourself, church family and visitors

2)     Show up with an attitude of praise and worship

3)     Be anxious to receive God’s Word & encounter Him

4)     Bring a friend/family member/workmate with you

5)     Be friendly, greet others, be positive

6)     Participate! Sing out, say “Amen!” when you agree

7)     If the message spoke to your heart, respond.

Where to Look in these Troublesome Times

Look to the Lamb – for Salvation,  John 1:29,36

Look to the Book – for Growth (doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction),  II Tim 3:16 

Look to yourself –for  Personal holiness,  II John 8,9

Look to others – for Soul-winning and missions, Matt 9:35-38

Look to the Rapture – Hope, Titus 2:13

You Said It!

 

What were people saying?

*Judas - Mat 26:25  Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. 

*High Priest - Mat 26:62  And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63  But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 

Pilate - 27:11  And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. 

*The People - Mat 27:23  And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 

 

*The Soldiers - Mat 27:29  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

 

*Jesus - the ultimate words...

 Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.